After our morning on the Wolverine Course, we had the Bear Course lined up for a twilight round ($70). Since it was quiet out the starter let us head out early and it was another quick round. We played in about three and a half hours which somehow included me losing what felt like a dozen golf balls.

Compared to Wolverine, I thought the Bear Course was much tougher and less forgiving. While the courses are located close to each other, they play very different. Wolverine is a resort-style course that gives you some birdie holes. On the other hand, the Bear could end up being one of the most difficult golf courses you’ll play all year. The Bear is normally found among Michigan’s top public courses, but what I didn’t realize is that it is also found among the state’s most difficult courses as well.

The Bear is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course and in case you are counting, that makes two of these punishing Nicklaus courses for us in two days. Yesterday was another demanding round at Harbor Shores in Western Michigan. No matter which tees you pick on the Bear, you’ll probably be feeling some punishment. I played the blue tees which are 73.3/147/6601. The black tees also have an eye-popping slope of 150.

The Bear has a links-style look to many holes with lost-ball trouble and water being the main challenges. Other challenges are the unusually small greens, deep bunkers and all the mounding, which is probably the course’s most unique feature. There are a lot of forced carries and the greens are receptive to a high, soft iron shots so an aerial game works best. Depending on what lines you take, you’ll need to carry the junk a good ten to fifteen times. So, I guess you can call the course “links” in name only.

There is no shortage of signature holes on the Bear. The 3rd through the 5th is a scenic stretch. The 3rd is pretty par-5 with the green tucked into a group of trees across a creek. The 4th is a 151 yard par-3 that is all carry across a hazard while the 5th is a tough par-4 where the tee shot and the approach also need to carry over water.

Personally, I thought the par-3’s were the best holes. The 4th hole, along with the 9th and 13th were solid. The 9th is 168 yards over water and has a long, narrow green that can vary the club selection. The 13th is another good one (of course, across water again) but that green is framed by trees.

Like all the courses we played on this trip, the conditions were excellent. The turf felt firmer on the Bear compared to the Wolverine. Maybe not as much watering with the sprinklers. The tees and fairways had good coverage. The greens were smooth and rolled quickly.

Overall, I think I would have enjoyed the Bear more if I hadn’t played Harbor Shores the day before. I struggled there just like I struggled here. If you are a good player, then I think you’ll enjoy the Bear a lot. But if you aren’t good then the strokes add up quickly. I probably wouldn’t play the Bear frequently if I lived in the area, but I do think it is worth mixing into a Northern Michigan golf trip.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):